I Heart the Music: Your Online Source for Live Music Reviews and Interviews in Toronto!

Decadence, which has been around since 2004, has been a natural stop for electro heads and partygoers celebrating the coming of the long weekend, and this past Easter long weekend was no exception. The tightly-packed event at the Guvernment featured 19 big-name acts including hometown favourites MSTRKRFT and Carlo Lio, as well as international DJs like American producer Steve Aoki and Italian duo the Crookers.

Around 11 o’clock there was already a throng of people dutifully lined up around the building, jittery with anticipation. At about midnight MSTRKRFT came out blasting, pumping out several of their new tracks like “Bounce” and “Vuvuvu” from their latest CD, Fist of God. They also incorporated older hits from their debut disc, The Looks, to their set list.

Fans were going ballistic and at different parts of the night crowd-surfing ensued. At one point I couldn’t help but stare at the stage mesmerized by very distracting dancing mascots, which was reminiscent to Circa Nightclub’s roving freaks of French Fries, only the furry bunny was fenced off only to appear on stage without any fan contact.

Next up, Crookers clamped down on the crowd with more Ed Banger released remixes like Busy P’s “To Protect and Entertain”. It seemed like every set came into a culmination getting better as the clock ticked. The concert proved that every DJ was on its own a highlight, and Decadence catered for the diverse crowd. Yet the highlight of the night was hands down Steve Aoki.

The half-brother of model-turned-actress Devon Aoki, the Los Angeles-based DJof Japanese-descent continues to spawn major club hits from both established singers and artists like Lenny Kravitz and Snoop Dogg as well as more indie acts like MSTRKRFT and The Von Bondies, who both have released songs from his record company Dim Mak.

Aoki’s sets are always rhythmically flashy and electro heavy. At Koolhaus, Aoki could be seen sitting on the stage’s cream-coloured couch, working double-duty as he partied with friends and prepared the next few songs on his Macbook for the Toronto crowd. Spinning at one of the city’s biggest clubs, Aoki sustained the stream of accolades he is known for in the music industry, which was evidenced by jumping and screaming party revelers still out during the wee hours of Good Friday.

photography provided by Joyce Wong

reported by Chris Jai Centeno

Everyone loves a great party, especially a party that involves amazing music, so why not combine the two? Well, that was the idea that Matt Eckensweiler and Konrad Droeske had when they decided to start throwing parties for a living. These are the guys behind The Mansion, a marketing/promotional company that are happy to provide the party for those of us that love to dance. They are by no means new to the scene; Matt has been the stage manager for the Canadian music festival Cutting Edge for the past two years and Konrad is the organizer for the notorious U of T “Mansion” parties that have hosted some of the best talent in the country, including illScarlett. We caught up with the party pair last week and they gave us a little taste of what is to be expected at Electrofest.

iheartthemusic: So, why did you decide to start The Mansion?

Matt: We love to party, we love throwing parties, and we love the party people. So we thought why not take it to the highest level possible with the best acts, the loudest sound, and the brightest lights.

Konrad: From the beginning, The Mansion has been all about bringing the freshest sounds and newest party concepts to the people.

iheartthemusic: How do you go about choosing acts for your parties?

Matt: Whether we’re talking about a DJ, a metal band, or an MC, the live performance is really important. We like artists that can really connect to the crowd and hype up the jam.

Konrad: Most importantly, we look at a DJ’s ability to connect with the audience, so before we book anyone, we need to see them live.

iheartthemusic: What do you think of Canadian DJs/producers in relation to those in other countries?

Matt: Canada has been turning up the heat for a while now. MSTRKRFT and Crystal Castles have both had international success and are producing some fresh new sounds.

Konrad: What’s amazing is that in a short period of time the Canadian electro scene has received mainstream attention with artists like Deadmau5, Crystal Castles and MSTRKRFT already putting us on the map. Within the next few years, I see Canada as a pioneer of some of the world’s greatest electro and house music.

iheartthemusic: Who do you consider the top DJ/producer in Canada right now and why?

Matt: Deadmau5 is the highest rated Canadian DJ, so I guess that makes him number one.

Konrad: Some of the most original and catchy tracks we’ve heard in a while have come from wunderkind DJ duo TapeDeckBros.

iheartthemusic: Tell us about Electrofest.

Matt: Well, Syntonics is headlining, and they are fucking awesome. I love the dirty ghetto tech sound. We also have some great up-and-coming talent like TapedeckBros, and they know how to rock the crowd. Electrofest will be loud.

Electrofest is sure to be an amazing party so hit it up this Friday, April 3^rd at The Amsterdam Brewery. Tickets are $10 in advance and can be purchased here or $15 at the door. The Mansion is also hosting a boat cruise on May 15th with DJ Barletta, Opopo, Gingy, TapeDeckBros, and many more. It’s called “We’re On A Boat, Motherfucker!” and tickets go on sale the day after Electrofest. You can get them online at TicketMaster or at Rotate This.

Who’s the most versatile DJ in Canada? On Friday, March 13^th, 10 DJs took their best shot at claiming that title at the Redbull 3Style DJ Competition. The event was headlined by the guy who’s worn that belt for years now: A-Trak. In front of a sold out crowd, these guys took to the stage and jammed in as many bangers as possible in a 15 minute set. Each DJ prepped himself for a full-out battle royale as they were eager to give it their best shot.

Arriving in time to catch Halifax’s DJ Cosmo, it was clear that this boy had done his homework.  His cuts were tight, song selection was on point, and provided mash-ups that would make Girl Talk take notice. The guy was amazing and he capped off his set donning a ski mask and dropping an “Ante Up/Simon Says” blend that people went crazy over. Giving him the crown at the end of the night appeared to be a no-brainer. 

Friday also marked date numero three on A-Trak’s North American tour, promoting his new album, Infinity+1. If you follow Trizzy on Twitter, he recently mentioned that he finally had some time to practice and work on some new tricks for his upcoming tour, so the anticipation was exceptionally high for fans of the Montreal native.

After sets by DJ Fin-S and Slipmat, the attention was drawn to centre stage, as Trizzy’s signature beard and bowler cap were seen setting up behind the decks.  There was no build-up needed as he hit the ground running.  Dabbling with blog house hits from Crookers, MSTRKRFT and, of course, his own remixes (his version of Boys Noize’s “Oh!” got a very enthusiastic reaction from the crowd), it was obvious that the practice had been worth it.  His juggling skills were sharper than ever as seen when he cut up Fake Blood’s “Blood Splashing” (something to note: he never needs his headphones, they’re just for show).  His ability to mix in unique battling skills with some choice electro cuts is unmatched. Every scratch brought a louder reaction from the concertgoers, and the occasional “come on, let me hear it” wave of his arms brought a roar that every DJ craves: the approval from everyone in the house. 

Written by Sebastian Galvez

Photos by Damian Simev and the Baker-Cam.